Memorandum submitted by
the
National Dance Teachers
Association
INTRODUCTION
1 The
National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA) is a subject association for
dance in schools. We are a membership organisation[1]
led by an executive committee who work to ensure that all young people in the UK
have equal access to a high quality dance education. Since its inception in
1988, the NDTA has actively lobbied for the place of dance in the curriculum
and has played an important role nationally in helping to shape policy related
to the quality, nature, range and scope of dance within the formal education
sector. We have been successful in raising the profile of the subject at a
national level and in contributing to the development and dissemination of good
practice. We actively work with a range of physical education and arts
organisations, government departments and statutory bodies to promote high
quality learning and teaching in dance.
Main focus of the submission
2 As we believe
that others are better placed to respond to the enquiry regarding the delivery
of ITT, this paper focuses on three of the four areas identified for
discussion: measuring quality, entry
into the profession and CPD Provision. The main points of this submission focus
on:
§ characteristics of good
quality teaching
§ the shortage of suitably qualified teachers and the unevenness
of ITT and CPD provision for subject specialists in dance placed within the
context of a growing demand to meet new initiatives
§ the lack of
provision for the development of subject expertise within primary ITT
§ the lack of accredited CPD linked to longer term career
development for dance specialists.
§ recommendations for future action.
THE ENQUIRY
Measuring quality
the extent
to which there is an evidence base for and shared sense of what makes for good
quality teaching
3 High quality provision in schools
inevitably rests on the availability of well trained and motivated teachers
with a level of subject knowledge appropriate for the context in which they are
working and, with a passion for their subject.
the ways in which the quality of teaching can be
measured
4 The
quality of good teaching can be measured in the outcomes demonstrated by pupils.
We support developments that move beyond measuring outcomes through testing or
examination results. Account needs to be taken of what pupils say about their
education and the way they have been taught. Consideration needs to go beyond
developing pupils' skills, knowledge and understanding of specific subjects to measure
how teaching supports the development of pupils' creative, imaginative,
physical, emotional and intellectual capacities, their personal and social
development and, how they are equipped to make informed choices about further
study, employment, life style and life-long learning. In order for this to be
meaningful, long-term strategies need to be implemented to monitor pupil
responses through key stages and beyond school. There needs to be consistency
in the way such evidence is collected.
5 We believe that quality of teaching is
best measured through mentoring and observation of teaching developed over a
period of time. Consideration should be given to the way in which practice is
informed by theory and how teachers are able to meet pupils' learning needs. Teachers
should be able to articulate and demonstrate through their practice how they contribute
to pupils' learning in, across and beyond subjects.
Entry
into the teaching profession
the
characteristics of those who are most likely to be good teachers and the extent
to which they are reflected in current entry requirements for ITT
6 We believe the minimum
published entry requirements for initial teacher training to be fairly limited.
In practice, providers use a range of strategies and entry criteria to identify
the best candidates. Examples of characteristics they look for include:
§ excellent social, intrapersonal and communication skills
§ use of the voice to communicate meaning, intention etc.
§ high level of presentation skills
§ evidence of commitment to teaching thorough previous voluntary or paid
work in schools
§ evidence of engagement with key educational concerns
§ evidence of teaching ability shown in response to a prepared task
§ passion
the appropriateness of the way in
which trainee numbers and trainee quality are prioritised in the management of
training places at national level
7 Currently the number of
specialist teachers for dance is failing to meet the need for more skilled
dance teachers in all phases of education. We first highlighted the shortage qualified
subject specialists in a written response to DfES following the subject
specialism meeting for Physical Education (2003). Subsequently, we conducted a
targeted survey of secondary head teachers[2]
seeking to appoint specialist dance teachers. The following comments are taken
from responses regarding posts advertised between March 2003 and June 2004:
§ 'For
us this was a crucial appointment. It was an excellent opportunity for an
experienced teacher of a Performing Arts College
in central Manchester
with a new studio and theatre. I was very disappointed with the field - a lack
of interviewable and appointable staff'
§ 'Our specialist
school ... is dependent on this appointment we are as concerned as you are. Any
advice would be welcome"
§ 'I am very surprised we had not a single
suitable applicant. We are an Artsmark gold school with good level of
performing arts work and commitment to this area'
8 The analysis of responses related to the
same period (approximately a 50% return) indicates that a number of schools
failed to appoint, and from those that did, 49% of teachers appointed were
qualified dance teachers and an alarming 51% were not.
9 Since the first announcement of cuts in PGCE allocations (2006),
we have met twice with the Teacher Development Agency (TDA) to discuss our
concerns. Although, difficult to
determine the full extent of the shortage because information concerning dance
as distinct from that related to Physical Education is not readily available,
there are no specialist undergraduate ITT courses programmes for dance and
there are very few places for graduates to train to teach (see paragraph 15).
Evidence from NDTA members working in schools, higher education, specialist
colleges and the advisory service confirms that there is still a shortage of suitably
qualified dance teachers.
10 We believe that unless there is an increase in the number of
trained dance teachers, the sector will be unable to respond to the growth in
government led initiatives promoting arts education, creativity, physical
education and the health benefits of participation in physical activity. These
initiatives, notably the Specialist Colleges programme for both Arts and
Sports; Sportsmark and Artsmark; Creative Partnerships, Dance Links (funded
through the Physical Education and Sport Strategy for Young People); the five hour offer for PE and Sport and the
new Cultural Offer emphasise an increasing need for specialist dance
teachers with the skills to maximize the potential of such initiatives.
11 On numerous occasions, the Government has highlighted the
importance of increasing participation in physical activity in order to reduce
obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. The DCMS claim that dance continues to
be one of the most popular art forms and there is a wealth of evidence claiming
numerous health benefits which can
be gained
by participating in dance. Access to dance therefore can help the government
meet its targets on healthy living. The findings of the Evaluation of the Nike
Girls in Sport Initiative[3]
suggest that dance engages many young people for whom competitive sport is not
an attractive option. The 2005 Youth Sports Trust school sport survey showed
that dance was the second most popular physical activity provided by schools
during the academic year.
12 The opportunities for developing dance in and outside of the
curriculum continue to grow. Many of these opportunities have led to a rapid
increase in the number of candidates for GCSE Dance and to an increase in the
number of schools and colleges offering other examination and vocational
courses. At
post 16, the increase in dance examination courses available to schools and
further education colleges continues to grow as does the uptake of dance and
dance related qualifications. At this level the development of combined
performing arts qualifications, musical theatre course and most recently the new
Creative and Media Diploma have been significant in improving participation in
dance.
13 Many specialist colleges are now seeking
to appoint a second or even third, full-time dance specialist. Others have made
dance a priority area for development and therefore need to appoint their first
suitably qualified dance teacher. Secondary teachers spend an increasing amount
of time in primary schools and on various out of hours/partnership commitments.
Likewise, the number of staff development/career opportunities within the
specialist colleges means that many of the most experienced dance teachers are
taking on other roles and responsibilities, leaving gaps to be filled if core
teaching in dance is to be sustained even at its present level.
14 In recent years, there have been an increasing number of dance
artists/practitioners, without qualified teacher status (QTS), employed by schools
and colleges particularly to teach examination courses either to save money or
because of the shortage of dance teachers with QTS. However, we are aware that
some struggle having limited personal/dance resources upon which to draw or
that they have a very narrow specialism which, may be of value in the
short term, but in the longer term deny pupils the access to the broad and
balanced dance education to which they are entitled. Additionally, as many such
professionals often work in a part-time capacity, their work is not embedded
within whole school policies and developments.
15 Our experience in working with dance artists/practitioners,
many of whom have a degree in dance, together with the increasing number of
enquiries that we receive about qualifying to teach and, from the DTAP Research
Project[4],
shows that many of those who wish to gain QTS find it very difficult to access training.
The Graduate Training Programme
(GTP) has provided a much-needed route for dance artists and
dance graduates to become qualified teachers.
However, it is apparent from those seeking our advice, that whilst they can
find schools willing to offer them jobs, the number of places being offered for
dance by Employer Based Providers is limited. In some instances applicants have been told that
they cannot specialise in Dance and provision is patchy across the
country as a whole. Further,
there are only 60 PGCE places for dance distributed across five institutions, all of
which are located in the south.
16 In the past, many PE teachers received
high quality teacher training in dance and many became notable leaders in the
profession. However, changes in initial teacher training during the last ten to
fifteen years have led to the decline in the number of PE teachers with a dance
specialism.
17 At primary level, dance is usually
included in ITT as part of Physical Education and evidence suggests that that preparation
for teaching is very limited. (see
paragraph 19)
the adequacy of current measures to
improve the diversity of the teaching profession
18 We believe an inevitable consequence of a
reduction in numbers is more competition for fewer places, a likely outcome of
which is that whilst highly qualified candidates are offered places, there will
be a resulting impact on the widening participation agenda where places are
offered to 'safe candidates' and not to applicants with less traditional
qualifications who are frequently from diverse economic and cultural
backgrounds.
the extent to which existing ITT
provision adequately prepares trainees for entry into the teaching profession,
whether they intend to teach in primary schools, secondary schools, early years
settings or further education settings. (Comments are particularly welcome on
whether provision meets the needs of new teachers in working with pupils with
special education needs and of new teachers based in schools operating in more
challenging circumstances)
19 At
primary level, where teachers are required to teach across the whole
curriculum, the central issue is common to many subjects: there is inadequate
time within initial teacher training courses to develop the level of knowledge
required to teach a subject effectively. Dance is usually included as part of
Physical Education within primary ITT and evidence from the Association for
Physical Education (afPE) highlights a continuing systemic weakness of ITT for Primary Teachers, whereby
at least 40% of newly qualified teachers enter schools with 6 hours or less
preparation to teach physical education. Given that the inclusion of dance is a
statutory requirement of the National Curriculum at KS1 and KS2, as are other
areas of the Physical Education Curriculum, this situation is clearly less than
satisfactory. The need to improve primary ITT is essential as is the
need to improve and expand the CPD provision for teachers as part of their
long-term career development.
20 Whilst there are successful examples of
the GTP, anecdotal evidence suggests that some schools opt for this route as a
response to not being able to appoint a qualified teacher, even when they may
not have the specialist staff to offer support for the trainees.
21 PGCE courses for secondary dance offer a
comprehensive and thorough initial teacher training where students develop
their subject specialism integrated with the wider educational agenda and
supported by subject specialists both within and outside of the HE provider.
CPD Provision
whether current CPD provision for new
teachers, experienced teachers and head teachers supports and enhances their
practice in school and, if so, to what extent
22 There are an increasing number of providers offering
professional development opportunities in dance. However, the nature, cost,
availability and quality vary considerably. Undoubtedly, some is of a very high
standard but some is not. We hear of situations where companies, agencies and
freelance practitioners are providing CPD, particularly in primary schools, who
may be dance specialists but who do not necessarily have an understanding of
teaching in schools. This implies a need for accredited CPD provision.
23 Evidence from our members indicates that there some find it
difficult to access financial support for CPD and some, that limited supply
cover is available. For some, CPD tends to be an adhoc arrangement rather than
something which is a planned and progressive programme of continuing
professional development. Others work in schools with a pool of assistant
teachers/cover teachers, without QTS but salaried, which makes it easier for
them to be released for professional development activities. CPD opportunities
for dance, where available, appear to meet short term needs but there is little
available which enables teachers to make medium or long term plans regarding
their professional development as subject specialists.
24 The NDTA provides a range of professional development
opportunities for teachers and over the years, feedback has been very positive
with evaluations confirming the high quality of the provision. However, we
recognise the need for programmes which provide for a deeper engagement with
CPD, clearly aligned with the professional standards framework and better
suited to teachers' long-term career development.
25 We have contributed to consultation
regarding the development of the new Masters in Learning and Teaching (MTL) and
are pleased to see the inclusion of modules related to subject specialisms. We
believe we have a role to play in contributing to the opportunities the
programme will provide for newly qualified teachers. We are also exploring the possibility
of developing M Level opportunities related to the longer term career
development of subject specialists together with the provision of new CPD opportunities
specially tailored to meet specific needs of individual teachers and schools. We
have the expertise to lead on such developments as do other subject
associations and suggest that Department considers the role of, and support
for, subject associations in providing developmental, ongoing and accredited
programmes of continuing professional development.
the adequacy of current arrangements
for tracking the impact of and spending on CPD provision
26 The adequacy of current arrangements for
tracking and spending on CPD for dance subject specialists is variable and
mostly dependent on that undertaken by individual schools. We believe that
there is little tracking of the impact of and spending on long-term continuing
professional development for dance subject specialists.
RECOMMENDATIONS
27 The NDTA recommends that:
§ The number of PGCE and GTP places for dance
need to be increased particularly to enable dance and performing arts graduates
to train as specialist dance teachers
§ The difficulty of accessing ITT for
secondary dance in some parts of the country needs to be addressed.
§ In primary ITT, students need sufficient
training for dance which enables them to understand the contribution that it
makes to other areas learning and the special contribution it makes to both
arts education and physical education.
§ The quality of PGCE provision for dance needs to be protected
and replicated in all training routes to QTS and strategies for ensuing this
need to be identified and implemented.
§ CPD should
be accredited within a nationally agreed framework.
§ The
Department considers the role of, and support for, subject associations in
providing developmental, ongoing and accredited programmes of continuing
professional development.
February 2009
[1] Membership includes individual members:
primary and secondary teachers, lecturers in further and higher education,
advisers, inspectors, dance artists and community dance practitioners and
organisational members: schools, colleges, dance companies, LEA education
centres, national and other dance agencies. Most members are located in England, but some are from Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland, some
from Europe and some from overseas.
[2]
Schools advertising dance posts in the Times Educational Supplement (2003-2004)
[3] Tess Kay & Toni O'Donovan, (January 2005) Institute of Youth
Sport, Loughborough
University
[4]
Dance Training and Accreditation Project , Research Phase Report, Susanne
Burns, 2008
